Future Shock

Not too long ago we were imagining a world with hoverboards, robot butlers, and flying cars. We were looking forward to the idea of having access to information at any given time. To 0s and 1s, to cyborg intergration, to 3D printing of human organs? Even globalization seemed to be a rather promising concept to a certain degree. So when did the future switch from being a promise to a threat?

Our mistrust of the future is making it really hard to let go of the past, and it certainly messes with our perception of the present big time. FUTURE is our amalgamation of different artistic explorations about what lies ahead - moving forward in time and space. We’ll leave it up to you to decide if the pages unveiled imply a rather dystopian look on the future or if it’s time to have some real beneficence towards what lies in front of us.

Having said that: we think it’s mandatory to make some (future) projections and blaze some alternative trails against a reactivated reactionary system that’s holding a grip on people who are anxious in times of change and constant new developments. The populist movement that’s happening internationally alters interhuman dialog into divisiveness and non-acceptance. It gives us the opposite of a positive future forecast - these waves of reactionary forces have swept over many times in the past. And the alt-right ain’t right at all - if you see their future projections and manifestos, such as the writings and musings of White House chief strategist Bannon - its ridiculous. Some people just want to watch the world burn, bring chaos in order to delegate. After destabilizing the whole Middle East it’s happening to the US now, and nobody knows how long this country will stay in shock. The land of the free? Having valued money and fame over sanity and reason has brought us to this point - but how do we get out? Time is a very misleading thing, and that’s exactly why we’re able to rewind the future and stop the past. The future is happening now, and it’s up to us to look at the possibilities to set our directions and mindsets for a better future. It is ultimately us who will decide where we’re headed. This issue wants to submit to a pro-humanistic dialog and positive outlook in terms of reflection, deflection, and oscillation.